Reenforced-concrete and like building



29. A. GODENIR 1,736,494

REENFORCED CONCRETE AND LIKE BUILDING Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 I II II:

I 60656 i1 kj y 21 /3 N 1929. A. GODENIR 1,736,494

REENFQRCED CONCRETE AND LIKE BUILDING Filed March 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In en 601 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES ALBERT GODENIR, OF LONDON, ENGLAND REENFORCED-CONGRETE'AND LIKE BUILDING Application filed March 18, 1929, Serial No. 347,930, and in Great Britain March 12, 1928.

This invention relates to a new method of erecting buildings composed chiefly of reenforced concrete or like material which can be cast in situ. Generally in the construction of concrete buildings it is the custom to erect on the selected site a suitable skeleton structure composed of various uprights and main beams, to apply thereto a number of bricks or slabs usually pre-cast, and subse- 10 quently to fill in the spaces with concrete cast in situ and incorporating suitable reenforoing. The whole of these operations involves a considerable expenditure of labour and the attendance of highly skilled engineers, and

the various loads are mainly'carried by the uprights which have to be carefully embedded to a good depth into the foundation. Now according to this invention a large amount of labour both skilled and unskilled is obviated by forming on the foundation horizontal buttresses which carry the chief load of the building, some of the walls of the building being formed with roots resting upon said buttresses.

These roots are preferably so shaped that they are articulated on the buttresses which may take the form of a pair of longitudinal pyramid section shallow walls securely anchored by piles driventherethrough into the foundation. The longitudinal walls and the roots can be mutually self supporting by arranging them as a continuous span whereby the building has a symmetrical tunnel or arch section.

Thewalls are formed with a series of spaced external ribs suitabl reenforced which very materially strengthens the walls against bending stresses and loads, particularly external stresses. The walls and ribs are cast in situ, the roots being erected on the buttresses and the walls cast in successive stages until they merge into the roof which is preferably a continuous span of the walls. Centring is employed for supporting the walls until the roof is completed and set, when the centring can be removed. Suitable reenforcing, for instance wire net work is cast in the walls, and metal rod reenforcing is preferably employed in the ribs.

Additional strength can be given to the building by so constructing the end Walls that they are formed with pillars which gradually increase in thickness downwards, the inner surface of each end wall pillar preferably being vertical and the outer surface inclined outwards downwardly.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect two sheets of drawings are appended hereto illustrating an embodiment of same, and wherein,

Figure l is a sectional end elevation.

Figure 2 is an outside elevation, and

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation of an arch section form of building.

Figure 4c is a detail sectional view on the lineX-Y of Figure 1.

. Figure 5 is a detail sectional end elevation view of the roof centre, and r Figure 6 is. a detail sectional end elevation of the root of a wall supported on a horizontal buttress.

Referring to the drawings the floor 1 of the structure isprefera-bly concrete cast in situ and bounded longitudinally by the horizontal buttresses 2 also cast in situ and securedv by piles 3 driven from the horizontal buttresses 2 into the. ground The buttresses 2 are increasedin width or flanged at their bases to provide ample'supporting surface 4 embedded in the ground. The buttresses 2 haveincline'd sides so that they are pyramid shape in section and have upper surfaces 5 formed. at right angles to the mean direction of the side walls 6. Y

i The floor 1 may act as a tie between the buttresses 2 where sufiicient resistance to the horizontalthrust cannot be provided by the piles 3 or by the resistance of the buttresses in their foundations and can be reenforced by horizontal tie beams 1 suitably spaced and integral with the floor. Y

The buttresses 2 are cast in situ and carefully moulded to the required level, 1 and when these are set the walls 6 are erected upwards from them in successive stages until the roof is reached. Suitable centring is erected to enable the successive casting operat-ions involved in the erection of the walls to be effected in the predetermined plane or planes.

The lower ends of the walls are articulated upon the horizontal buttresses 2, and this can be effected by forming the bases of the walls with enlarged roots 7 each of which has a longitudinal channel 8 in its base to seat upon the appropriate buttress 2, as shown in Figure 6.

The upper surface 5 of each horizontal buttress 2 is formed along its centre with a narrow surface 9 with which contacts in a flush manner the opposing part of the channel 8, and if desired this part 9 may be cast so as to be integral with the root. The shape of the channel 8 in each root is preferably such that with the exception of the said contacting part 9 there is a clearance between the inner surface of the channel 8 and the outer surface of the buttress 2, this clearance preferably being increased on the outer side by forming a ledge 10 along the channel 8. This clearance is filled in by a suitable filling agent, such as bitumen, and concrete or plaster can be cast over the roots and buttress to obscure any irregularities or undesirable projections.

Cast in situ with the walls 6 are a number of vertical ribs 11 reenforced by metal rods or other suitable means, these ribs being located on the outer sides of the walls as this gives increased strength and resistance to the strains and loads arising with a building with a large span, more particularly when of arch form as shown in the drawings.

.The form of arch constituting the walls and roof is preferably substantially that of a parabola and the form of root 7 for the walls is preferably of pyramid section as shown, with the inner side 7 arranged in a substantially vertical plane. The depth of the ribs 11 is preferably, two, three or more times the thickness of the wall 6. With an arch shaped building it is preferable to commence erecting both longitudinal walls from the base upwards simultaneously andjto unite them integrally at the upper part of the roof, which can be formed with a horizontal surface 12 for supporting any superstructure, for instance as indicated at 13 in Figure 2.

Suitable ventilator or fanlight openings 14' can be provided in the roof and/or walls where required.

and their upper ends constituting the top of the roof can abut against each other as indicated at 18 in Figure 5.

Suitable connecting hinge bars 9 and 18 may be incorporated in the articulated joints at 9 and 18 respectively, if desired.

I claim:

1. A concrete building including an archlike combined Wall and roof structure, continuous reenforcing ribs extending transversely of said structure, said arch-like structure having enlarged roots with longitudinal channels in'the faces thereof, a foundation including opposing buttresses, having tapering sides and top portions inclined to the horizontal inserted within said channels and having a portion of each buttress connected with the adjacent root.

2. A concrete building including an archlike combined walland roof structure, continuous reenforcing ribs extending trans versely of said structure, said arch-like structure having enlarged roots with longitudinal channels in the faces thereof, a foundation including opposing buttresses having tapering sides and top portions inclined to the horizontal inserted within said channels and having a portion of each buttress connected with the adjacent root, and'a bituminous fill; ing between each buttress and the root dis posed thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT GODENIR.

The end walls 15can be of brickworli as 7 shown in Figure 2 suitable openings for windows, doors, shutters, &.c., being provided where required. Reenforced horizontal beams 16 can be connected across the walls and cast integral therewith and a suitable numberof vertical buttresses 17 can be built in the end walls, each buttress 17 increasing in thickness downwards. v

It will be appreciated that by articulating the longitudinal walls in the manner proposed they will bemutually self supporting 

